Looking for something different to do in Honolulu

[Kiwi_cruiser]

We have been to Honolulu few time in the past and the last time we where there was in September / October 2017.

 

On our next cruise in October we got a overnight Honolulu 😎

 

We have been to Ala Moana Centre, Pearl Harbor & USS Arizona Memorial (No interest in going back) and Waikiki beach and a few other places around Waikiki.

 

For this visit we are looking at doing something different in Honolulu and we where wondering if anyone could recommend a tour company that could take us around Honolulu?

 

For those who have been to Honolulu before, what do you do in Honolulu? 🙂

 

Also is there any good sailing / Snorkelling trips you could do from Honolulu?

 

Thank You for any ideas or advise you can give me!.

 

PS: What is the best way to get around Honolulu?, are the Trolleys bus still running?, Can you pick them up from the Cruise Terminal?

 

 

Edited July 22, 2022 by Kiwi_cruiser

[KeepCalmBearOn]

I would not do any tours. Look at going to Shangri La through the Honolulu Art Museum.  It is one of the more unique experiences in Honolulu. When you get back from touring Shangri La you can go into Waikiki to eat or perhaps Chinatown to eat.

 

I'd do a snorkel tour on Maui or Kauai, but not Oahu.

 

The best way to get around Honolulu is a cab or Uber.

 

If I did a tour, it would be to the North Shore and I'd engage someone like Charley's Taxi for a private tour.

[Bocadude85]

2 hours ago, Kiwi_cruiser said:

We have been to Honolulu few time in the past and the last time we where there was in September / October 2017.

 

On our next cruise in October we got a overnight Honolulu 😎

 

We have been to Ala Moana Centre, Pearl Harbor & USS Arizona Memorial (No interest in going back) and Waikiki beach and a few other places around Waikiki.

 

For this visit we are looking at doing something different in Honolulu and we where wondering if anyone could recommend a tour company that could take us around Honolulu?

 

For those who have been to Honolulu before, what do you do in Honolulu? 🙂

 

Also is there any good sailing / Snorkelling trips you could do from Honolulu?

 

Thank You for any ideas or advise you can give me!.

 

PS: What is the best way to get around Honolulu?, are the Trolleys bus still running?, Can you pick them up from the Cruise Terminal?

 

 

I would try and get out of the Waikiki area, take a drive over to the windward side of the island and check out Ho’omaluhia Botanical Gardens, then maybe head to Waimanalo Beach for a relaxing beach day..another option would be to look into a excursion to the Kaneohe sandbar for some swimming and snorkeling. 

[kluv2cruz]

No personal experience, but I follow a couple of FB groups that have been very helpful for what to do on Oahu. These are 98% land travellers, but folks are super passionate and very helpful. Try:

 

• • All things Oahu Hawaii 
  • Going to Oahu 
  • Hawaii Bucket List Tours www.hawaiiblt.com $169pp Justin Billings; gto10 for 10% off
  • Oahu Fun things to do
  • Pass it on - Beach Gear and more - in Hawaii 

 

The Hawaii Bucket List Tours is who I was going to suggest you consider. Again, no personal experience, but he seems to have some wildly happy customers, and I’ve checked the price and it seems less than a big splurge (between affordable and a splurge). Follow for awhile on Facebook and you’ll see what I mean!

 

We’ve done the maitai catamaran sunset sail 4 times and that’s always fun! Check out the beautiful pink Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Have a maitai at their beach front maitai bar. Take an Uber/Lyft and head to the Disney Aulani. Have lunch or dinner or happy hour at Roy’s Ko Olina or Monkeypod. Walk the lovely walkway along the 3 lagoons. Explore the gorgeous Disney hotel and resist some very cute Disney merchandise in their shops! Sort of on the way to the Aulani hotel is the outlet mall. That’s fun if you’re a shopper! And, you’ll also sort of be near the Aloha Swap Meet. Exhausting but fascinating to walk around. Many will suggest the North Shore, and that is lovely, but a long way. If you’re a walker, do Diamond Head. But, follow some of those FB pages I suggest and you’ll have a zillion things to do and 2 days will be a rush! There’s so many more cool places to check out! 

[kluv2cruz]

“No personal experience…” I mean, with Hawaii Bucket List Tours. Lots of personal “cruise to/from Hawaii, maximize a fun time on Oahu” experience!

[lovecruzin]

9 hours ago, kluv2cruz said:

No personal experience, but I follow a couple of FB groups that have been very helpful for what to do on Oahu. These are 98% land travellers, but folks are super passionate and very helpful. Try:

 

• • All things Oahu Hawaii 
  • Going to Oahu 
  • Hawaii Bucket List Tours www.hawaiiblt.com $169pp Justin Billings; gto10 for 10% off
  • Oahu Fun things to do
  • Pass it on - Beach Gear and more - in Hawaii 

 

The Hawaii Bucket List Tours is who I was going to suggest you consider. Again, no personal experience, but he seems to have some wildly happy customers, and I’ve checked the price and it seems less than a big splurge (between affordable and a splurge). Follow for awhile on Facebook and you’ll see what I mean!

 

We’ve done the maitai catamaran sunset sail 4 times and that’s always fun! Check out the beautiful pink Royal Hawaiian Hotel. Have a maitai at their beach front maitai bar. Take an Uber/Lyft and head to the Disney Aulani. Have lunch or dinner or happy hour at Roy’s Ko Olina or Monkeypod. Walk the lovely walkway along the 3 lagoons. Explore the gorgeous Disney hotel and resist some very cute Disney merchandise in their shops! Sort of on the way to the Aulani hotel is the outlet mall. That’s fun if you’re a shopper! And, you’ll also sort of be near the Aloha Swap Meet. Exhausting but fascinating to walk around. Many will suggest the North Shore, and that is lovely, but a long way. If you’re a walker, do Diamond Head. But, follow some of those FB pages I suggest and you’ll have a zillion things to do and 2 days will be a rush! There’s so many more cool places to check out! 

Over at KoOlina where the Disney resort is, there a “secret lagoon” by Paradise Cove, you will almost always see turtles there, the snorkeling can be good depending on weather but you don't need to snorkel to see the turtles. This goes without saying but do not touch the turtles!

The walking path at the lagoons is very nice (the lagoons are swimable) and agree with the suggestion for Monkeypod or Roys although neither have a view.

 

House without a Key at the Halekulani in Waikiki is nice for a sunset mai tai and music.

 

If you plan to dine off the ship, make reservations before you leave home!

[Bocadude85]

Go to the original Roy’s in Hawaii Kai if you are looking for a view..also they are in the process of opening a Monkey Pod in Waikiki. 

[carlmm]

I really enjoyed and would recommend the  Bernice P. Bishop museum.

It is reachable by public bus.

[IDLnyc]

Of course, it really depends on whether you are looking for adventure or culture.

 

If you are interested in culture, I suggest the Iolani Palace in downtown Hawaii - it is the European-style palace built by the last of the native Hawaiian monarchs -- an evocative record of how a (literally) insular culture tried to adapt when the wider world discovered it.  Plan ahead - when I visited it was only open a few days a week (and that was pre-covid).   

 

I can also second the recommendation of "Shangri La" -- this was the late heiress, Doris Duke's,  middle-Eastern-style mansion (set in carefully landscaped grounds).  Shangri La is located in an exclusive residential area east of Diamond Head.  So as not to disturb its neighbors, visitors are required to assemble at the Honolulu Museum of Art, which is conveniently close to downtown.  Free vans provide transportation between the Museum of Art and the mansion:  pre-ticketing is essential

 

Busses from Waikiki stop at or close to both Iolani Palace and the Honolulu Museum of Art.  I don't know about bus routes from the port.

 

It's never a bad idea to have a Mai Tai at the Royal Hawaiian's outdoor garden bar.

 

[KeepCalmBearOn]

I love Iolani Palace and the Bishop Museum, but neither is "unique"; both are among the most popular, most visited sites on Oahu.

[SilkySal]

When we were there, our family rented a car and drove up Mt Haleakala to watch the sunrise. One word - breathtaking!! Unforgettably one of my best experiences! Good luck! Cheers!

[Bocadude85]

6 hours ago, SilkySal said:

When we were there, our family rented a car and drove up Mt Haleakala to watch the sunrise. One word - breathtaking!! Unforgettably one of my best experiences! Good luck! Cheers!

Haleakala is located on Maui not on Oahu.